Last Fall on Friday Sept 26, nine of our fellow CVCers, two guest riders and three camp followers made the pilgrimage from the Conejo to San Diego, California, on the first leg of an exhilaratingly adventurous classic road ride, the semi annual "Rosarito to Ensenada -coastal cruise and mountain climb-50 mile Fun ride". If you haven't made this ride and you enjoy jamming a two lane rural highway with 8000 other cyclists of all ranks, skills, and persuasions, and NO CARS, then you need to make this ride. But I preempt my story.
All contingent of our hardy group rendezvoused at the budget line, Motel 6 on San Diego's Hotel Row, along with a small support team of well wishers, vehicle drivers and camp followers. The plan called for rising before the roosters, at 5 am on a Saturday, jamming into three vehicles, and dashing for the border shortly after 6:00. The pre-ride literature and propaganda had urged all serious riders to be across the US border by 7:30 and in Rosarito by 8am. The official story was that 50,000 crazed riders and camp followers were coming to Rosarito Beach this Saturday, and there wouldn't be room to sneeze, much less turn a truck around.
The CVC caravan that headed for this uncertain fate that early Saturday were: Gary Frost's cycle truck, with eight of the eleven bikes, lead vehicle; followed by J.C. Simmons in the people van with a large segment of the riders, and Jeff Vranish, with several more bikes and riders. The caravan to Rosarito Beach was totally uneventful, except for the growing anticipation of the uncertainty that awaited us and the great sunrise.
No fear, the border crossing went flawlessly and we were promptly on our way through Tijuana, to the demarcation point in midtown Rosarito. It was a beautiful morning south of Tijuana, with the sun rising from the east and strong storm surf crashing against the beaches to the west. It was a Great Day to be Alive!
Arriving in Rosarito, CVC's over enthusiasm was obviously apparent in that we were probably among the first 800 riders to arrive and start staging. We were so early, we spent a good 45 minutes milling around putting on sun screen, eating cereal, taking pictures and generally trying to settle our nerves before we said a final good bye to our beloved three vehicle support staff. Again, the pre-ride propaganda said that all Ensenada vehicle traffic had to get out of town by 8:30 sharp. "The authorities were going to close the roads south." (AHuumm. I'm not sure these stated authorities could organize a two man drill team, much less close 40 miles of highway.) It later became obvious that much of this rush was totally unnecessary and only insured that all members of our team had a good start on a great sunburn, by standing around waiting for the 10 am launch.
We had unconsciously settled into about the middle of what would become the "riders". Unconsciously, since when we arrived it looked like we were reasonable close to the starting line, maybe two block, but not jammed in with that crowd that was already assembling up front where the music and Sol Girls were, and with that incessant BOOM! BOOM! of the low fidelity but very load PA system would have been unbearable by ride time without a pair of Rock concert ear plugs (I show my age).
At a Mexican 10am sharp, the ride starts with a huge yell over the low fidelity PA system in something Spanish, that the PA and crowd turned into nothing but a uncomprehendable "it's happening." About 5 minutes pass, and we note about a block up the street, heads were beginning to bob. All Right! Now we are racing the 50 miles to Ensenada. Another 5 minutes and we start walking our bikes forward along with the mob of about 7000 riders that had gathered about us. With great anticipation we followed a group from Hermosa Beach that had staged just ahead of us. They were of such obvious note, was they were riding a very hi-tech Cinco-de-Biko, a home made tricycle made for 5, with no gears, poor drive train design, poor brakes, but a built in boom box and beer cooler over the rear axle. Last seen, they were unable to make it out of town, seems the tric wouldn't turn with five hung over/drunken rides aboard (nice hot pants on several). The tric wouldn't turn, with five riders aboard, but what the hell we were racing.
About the time we drew abreast of that incessant BOOM, BOOM, BOOM PA, and its beautiful dancing Sol' girls, we were finally able to mount our trusty steeds and begin the slow charge to actually get some semblance of riding a rode ride on a paved highway without having to challenge cars at every turn of the crank. Unfortunately.
The next twenty-two miles were a beautiful constant vista of cyclist of all types, cruising along the rolling beach road, the morning sun on the east, the strong blue surf on the west, and the constant road clog of hundrreeeds of cyclist all trying to race to Ensenada in their own feeble way, few with the slightest clue what it was like to ride with another three people much less eight thousand. This beach cruise turned into a twenty two mile ride of constantly yelling "ON YOUR LEFT" with only about half the wandering mass having any idea what the hell you were yelling about and another 5% passing you on the left with no warning. Definitely an adventure, but not the one in the picture book. It was a Great Day to be Alive!
We made our first stop at the watering hole about 15 miles out and waited. We were pushing a good 16.5 mph average in heavy bike traffic, but we had planned to regroup the entire CVC contingent at every water stop. We waited long enough at this stop to start cooling off and lost much of the progress we had made against the "mob". We now decided to wait a reasonable interval at the remaining stops but then press on. Our stragglers agreed to see us in Ensenada. Onwards and upwards.
At about mile 25 the route turns inland, under the modern "Toll road" and immediately starts a gradual climb up the canyon. First a minor climb and a fast decent to a wide flat bridge. About a half mile up the canyon you have reached "El Tigre" "The Hill" this climb turns into a steeper slow steady grind for the next two plus miles and climbs 800 feet at a steady 7.5% grade. Starting in the middle of the pack in Rosarito, and waiting at the first water stop for all our group, we could now look at a snake of bicycles that ascended up the mountain in front of us for several miles and back down the canyon to the blue storm surf below. Settle in and spin. Try to keep the slower folks to the right with a continuing OYL, and spin. Remember to drink water and spin. It was a Great Day to be Alive!
The climb finally levels off about two long switch backs after you were sure the climb must be over, and now you are on the infamous mesa. For the next seven or eight miles you have nothing to really concern yourself with, except running into or being run into by numerous pedestrian bicyclist that have no idea what the hell OYL means. It is past noon and the HOT Baja sun is beating down on this great moveable party. At the top of a very mild saddle with grassy pasture on both sides is the final rest stop, and from here it's on to Ensenada. Boy and is it!
The next eight miles is made up of a great decent with cruising speeds of 25 to 35+ mph depending on how hard you wanted to push it. I personally love free speed and drive the decents as hard as this old body will go. About a forth of the way down, I catch another decender whom I mistake for Gary Frost. My rear view mirror has already gone out of focus due to the wind and I'm moving to fast to confirm, what with road conditions and slower cyclist. He yells "I'm with you", and we push the decent for what it's worth. I only remember being passed by one fellow on that whole long decent, while we passed hundreds of folks that were moving much slower.
Finally just before the overpowering smell of the fish canning plant, the road levels out and we have slowed to the point where I realize that my tail drafter is some guy I've never seen before. I can't imagine hugging someone else's wheel that close unless I knew his style, but we made it and I'm sure he had a great draft. I sure had a great charge. God! It was a Great Day to be Alive!
The remainder of the ride is somewhat uneventful as you arrive in Ensenada, and cruise along the ocean blvd. You are now on city streets with mild auto traffic, and very treacherous speed bumps. These little gems are made up of 5" half round metal domes clued in a straight line across the road, with about two inches of payment between each. Not sure what would happen if you hit the side of one of these guys and your tire slid off to the side, but it was not a trick I wanted to try. Finally there is the Finish line banner, our sag team with cameras, and beyond the infamous after-ride Fiesta was just starting to kick into gear.
I can't report much of the happenings at the Fiesta since we essentially regroup our contingent, picked up our commemorative tees and headed north for the border, clean showers and dinner in San Diego. Everyone agreed that they had a great, great time and looked forward to a repeat performance this year.
The 18th annual ride is on for Sept 26th. We are not sure who is going or what the arrangements are, but this is one of the great road rides of the year and if you haven't done it at least once, you have missed a treat.